AAP Recommends Pulse Oximetry Screening Be Performed After Planned Home Births and Hospital BirthsSome babies in Utah are born in settings outside of a birthing facility. This may include births that take place at home or in freestanding birthing centers. As of October 1, 2014, screening for CCHD using pulse oximetry is required for all babies in Utah, regardless of location of delivery. This recommendation was recently reinforced by the American Academy of Pediatrics in the 2013 Policy Statement on Home Births.
The greatest challenges to screening babies born outside of birthing facilities are access to screening equipment, timing the screen appropriately, and ensuring timely follow up when needed. Your home birth provider will be provided the following assistance:
- Basic pulse oximetry screening information
- Information on proper pulse oximetry screening equipment
- Standardized protocols for CCHD Screening in the out-of-hospital setting
- Technical support of CCHD screening, during the hours of 8:00 - 5:00 by Utah Department of Health
- Staff and parent education materials
- Assistance with appropriate referrals for newborns that fail CCHD screening
AAP Recommends Pulse Oximetry Screening Be Performed After Planned Home Births and Hospital Births
In May 2013, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement “Planned Home Birth” with recommendations for the care of infants born at home. This new policy statement is based on the premise that all babies, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, deserve a high quality standard of care. Included in this policy statement is the specific recommendation that “Screening for congenital heart disease should be performed by using oxygen saturation testing as recommended by the AAP.”
View the Entire Policy Statement
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